In conventional blank turn-over devices, a vertical shaft is provided having a clamping arm at a right angle to the axis of the shaft. The shaft is employed both to turn the blank over and to transfer the blank to the next successive die. To accomplish reversing and transferring of the blank, the vertical shaft drives the horizontal clamping arm for a K80.degree. turn, thereby following an arched path in covering the distance between two dies. Such devices are not adaptable to relatively high speed operation because their construction is relatively complicated, the masses of the mechanisms are relatively large, and the traveling distances between dies is relatively long, thereby requiring relatively large changes of momentum during transfer over long paths between the two dies should high speed operation be attempted. For these and other reasons, conventional turn-over devices have operating speed limitations which are relatively restrictive.
The object of the present invention is to minimize or avoid the problems associated with conventional devices by providing a turn-over device which does not make a 180.degree. turn along an arched path of travel to accomplish turn-over or reversal of nut blanks and which is not required to transfer the nut blanks. The improved turn-over device of the present invention minimizes inertia effects and mechanical complexity, thereby making possible extra high speed operation. A nut blank feeding device suitable for use with the turn-over device of the present invention to achieve transfer of the nut blanks is described in a concurrently filed and copending application (Ser. No. 645,078, filed Dec. 29, 1975) by the same inventor, and, accordingly, relevant description is omitted here.